Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez Calls Snap General Election for November
The vote follows the defeat of key housing decrees and will determine whether Spain maintains its left-wing government or shifts toward a conservative coalition.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez dissolved parliament on Oct. 5 and called a snap general election for Nov. 29, 2026. The royal decree formalizing the vote was published the following day in the Official State Gazette. The decision moves the national election forward by eight to nine months.
The move followed the defeat of two emergency government decree laws in the Congress of Deputies. The proposals sought to control increasing rent costs and stop evictions. The Catalan pro-independence party Junts joined with the conservative People's Party and Vox to vote down the measures.
Housing tensions generated demonstrations in more than 50 cities, including Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, and Málaga. Protesters rallied after authorities evicted 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from her Madrid apartment of nearly 70 years. While Spain recorded rapid economic growth, rising rental costs have created financial strains in urban centers.
Sánchez stated in an address that his government needs a larger progressive majority to deliver social reforms. He said voters must choose whether Spain keeps an open and socially just society or joins a far-right wave. He also acknowledged that his administration made mistakes and progressive voters were dissatisfied with policy delivery.
People's Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo described the election as a choice between corruption and decency. He stated that the vote gives citizens the opportunity to defeat the prime minister. Vox leader Santiago Abascal said his party will focus on stopping discrimination against native Spaniards in housing and welfare while prioritizing remigration.
Sánchez has served as prime minister since 2018 and heads a minority coalition with the left-wing platform Sumar. Following the July 2023 election, his government relied on legislative backing from Catalan pro-independence parties in exchange for an amnesty law. The administration has failed to pass a national budget since 2023, repeatedly relying on rollover spending plans.
Judicial corruption investigations touching party figures and his inner circle have added pressure on the government. Border authorities also faced scrutiny over unauthorized migrant crossings into the enclave of Ceuta during the summer. Pre-election polls show the People's Party leading, placing a coalition between the conservatives and Vox as a primary outcome.
The election will determine all 350 seats in the Congress of Deputies and 209 directly elected Senate seats. The newly elected parliament is scheduled to formally convene on Dec. 23, 2026, to elect officers and begin the investiture process.
